The Last Two

By Mike Jason

THE LAST TWO

Two world powers are in the midst of an intense struggle for global domination.

Tensions are running high due to a hostile threat to unleash a chemical weapon containing a deadly plague capable of killing millions of people around the world.

News stories are running day and night about the strong possibility of a poisonous attack, causing many people to panic. Citizens across America are stocking up on emergency supplies and barricading their homes to protect themselves if an attack occurs.

Then it happens. The bomb hits the United States, and the plague spreads through a massive mushroom cloud afflicting the entire world.

Only two known survivors remain, a wealthy, socialite woman and a poor, hardworking man. They must put their immense differences aside while facing unexpected dangers and twists at every turn to make it out of the ruins and survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Jason
• Release date: Mar 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215788073

Mike Jason

I am an independent author who writes a wide variety of content.Thanks for the continued support.R,Mike

Book preview

The Last Two

By Mike Jason

Copyright © 2023 Mike Jason

All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Prologue

Two world powers are in the midst of an intense struggle for global domination. Tensions are running high due to a hostile threat to unleash a chemical weapon containing a deadly plague capable of killing millions of people around the world.

News stories are running day and night about the strong possibility of the chemical threat, causing many people to panic. Citizens across America are stocking up on emergency supplies and barricading their homes to protect themselves if an attack occurs.

Then it happens. The bomb hits the United States, and the plague spreads through a massive mushroom cloud afflicting the entire world.

Only two known survivors remain, a wealthy, socialite woman and a poor, hardworking man. They must put their immense differences aside in order to make it out of the ruins and survive.

Chapter 1

On a hot and humid day in July, Rick slept soundly in his third-floor apartment in the South Bronx. A raucous police siren came roaring down the street.

Rick opened his eyes and squinted at the morning sun shining through the wrinkled blinds. Then he peeked at his alarm, and to his surprise, it read 8:00 a.m. He initially set it to go off two hours earlier because he had to be at work in Manhattan by 9:00 a.m., and it took a while to get there using public transportation. Due to his exhaustion from the previous night, he never heard its beep.

In frustration, he grabbed the clock and slammed it down on the wooden lampstand. Then he hurried into the tiny bathroom, flipped on the radio, and twisted the hot water knob in the shower. Due to the aging pipes throughout the building, it took several minutes for the water to warm up to a comfortable level.

He removed his toothbrush from the top drawer and brushed his teeth. After that, he flossed. Then he stuck his hand through the vinyl shower curtain to feel the temperature. The water was lukewarm, so he stepped into the tub. 

While he showered, a special news report interrupted the music that played through the dust-filled speakers: "After another round of tense negotiations between the two world powers, they seemed farther apart than ever. Talks between the leaders of both countries broke down late last night. Some insiders believe the launching of a weapon capable of unleashing a deadly plague upon America is imminent.

"Dr. Viktor Novikov, a defector who the media recently interviewed, claimed to have worked with a team of foreign scientists on a massive chemical missile. During test explosions in top-secret locations, he said the harmful toxins released by this weapon caused death within a few hours to all those infected, including animals. The chemical was noted as being highly contagious and could multiply at an alarming rate causing an epidemic of sorts throughout the world if not properly controlled.

"But many leading scientists scoffed at Dr. Novikov’s remarks, stating that there is no such weapon in existence, and it would take decades for a country to develop such a lethal plague capable of wiping out millions of people.

"Top government officials are urging citizens to stay calm and not to panic. The Army has yet to issue any alerts to the general public, though all military installations are now on the highest security levels.

"Despite the lack of urgency by state and local leaders, many people began preparing for a possible attack. Grocery stores around the country reported selling out of canned foods, bottled water, and many other household and medical products. The big online retailers are also running low on supplies and have restricted consumers from buying items in bulk.

"In New York City, many residents were seen wearing self-made masks in the subways to protect themselves from an attack from overseas.

It’s unclear how this threat could impact the upcoming global forum, which is just a few months away.

Just as Rick finished bathing, the radio station went to a commercial. He didn’t hear any of the news report but was already aware of the threat due to the endless media coverage.

"I’m glad I missed whatever they were talking about this time, he said to himself. I don’t need to hear about anything negative to start my day."

He hurried into his bedroom to get dressed. He removed his orange-colored maintenance uniform from a wire hanger in the closet.

Rick, a ruggedly handsome man, over 6 feet tall and weighing 190 pounds with a muscular build, lived in a crime-ridden neighborhood with an extremely high poverty rate. Most of the people he grew up with moved out several years ago. And the recent problems caused many more long-time residents to leave in droves to try and find a better life elsewhere in the city or other nearby states.

After putting on his clothes, he checked his watch and noticed that he didn’t have time to eat. He worked halfway across the city in the Grand Building in Midtown Manhattan as a maintenance worker in the 100-story skyscraper, one of the country's tallest. A steady job that he held for the last five years. He did all types of work, ranging from performing repairs on complex HVAC units to fixing toilet leaks in the bathroom. It paid roughly $40,000 per year, which didn’t go a long way in the high-priced city. Due to his minuscule wages, he lived in a cramped and decrepit 400-square-foot studio apartment.

Rick whipped open a plastic shopping bag that he used as a makeshift briefcase and threw inside the things he would need throughout the day, including a black bandanna. Then he rushed out of the front door and slammed it shut. He darted down three flights of steps, skipping a few along the way.

Just as he got to the main floor, he could hear the bus approaching. He swung the building’s front door open and almost knocked over a senior citizen carrying a paper bag full of groceries. A few oranges fell on the ground. 

Excuse me, ma’am, Rick said, stooping down to pick up the fruit. Then he wiped them on his shirt to remove the dirt and placed them back inside her bag. When he glimpsed at her face, he noticed her eyes were reddish in color, and she seemed to have the sniffles. He wondered if she was sick or maybe something worse.

When he spun around, he saw the large blue bus ready to pull away. He apologized to the woman and then sprinted towards it. He banged on the door to persuade the driver to halt.

After driving a few yards, the driver reluctantly stopped. He opened the door and said, Come on. Get in!

Rick leaped inside, and after searching for an open seat, he found one in the rear of the overcrowded bus. As he maneuvered through the aisle, he overheard a few women grumbling about the bus stopping because they were late for their hair appointment at the beauty salon. He also noticed about half the people wore masks or scarves on their faces.

When he finally got to the rear, he sat down and caught his breath. He peeked at his watch and saw that it was now 8:30 a.m. He still had over an hour to travel. He couldn’t be late again! This would be the second time this week. He was already in trouble with his boss and didn’t want to lose his job.

Rick served as a basketball coach for a group of teenagers in his neighborhood. Sometimes when his team had night games at the local park, he wouldn’t get home until after midnight. That was the reason why he had been late to work several times during the summer. But he was willing to make a sacrifice to help the kids stay off the streets and protect them from violence and the lure of drugs.

His daunting daily commute started with a 30-minute bus drive from the Bronx to the subway station in Queens. From there, he rode the train for another 40 minutes to get to his place of employment. That didn’t include the inevitable delays that happened almost every other day in the city’s aging public transportation system.

He opened his plastic bag, took out a pair of headphones, and put them on to drown out the noise. During the ride, he briefly glanced out of the smeared window and saw the damage caused by last weekend’s vandalism related to pent-up frustrations of long-time residents over the sweeping changes permeating their borough.

Rick shook his head after seeing parts of his neighborhood in shambles. The restaurants had broken windows, and several stores had remnants of fire damage due to arson.

Then his eyes began to get heavy, and he started to doze off.

Soon after, the bus pulled up to the transfer station at the subway in Queens. Everyone hurried off the bus, but Rick was still out of it.

A freckle-faced man with silver hair noticed Rick was the only one left on the bus, so he tapped him on his shoulder. Rick woke up from his brief nap. The man spoke to him in Spanish and pointed towards the exit.

Rick didn’t understand a single word he said but knew the man was trying to be helpful so he wouldn’t miss his stop. Thanks, Rick said.

Then he quickly got off the bus and walked down the subway steps, not too far away. There must have been a train delay because it was extremely crowded on the subway platform—more than usual. Everyone stood shoulder-to-shoulder, and many in the crowd wore some type of face covering.

Rick decided to put on his black bandanna. He took it out of his pants pocket, wrapped it around his head, and tied it in the back. He looked like an old-fashioned train robber.

The crowd was very quiet, which was a direct result of their fear of the looming war.

He maneuvered through the masses to get near the front of the platform. The first train that approached wasn’t the one he needed to take, so he moved out of the way so others could enter the train.

Afterward, the train departed, and then he moved back to the front of the crowd.

Five minutes later, his train finally arrived. He decided to be polite and let a couple of women walk through before him. One of them was a beautiful blonde in her mid-20s dressed in fancy clothes. She had a slim figure and a small mole on her left cheek.

The other woman was a brunette about the same age and also fashionably dressed. Neither was wearing a mask. They strolled by Rick while conversing with each other, not even acknowledging his kind gesture.

After Rick let the women through, the train door started to close because they had taken so long to enter.

Rick quickly snatched the door with his left hand and pulled it open, barely making it inside. He walked a few feet before finding an open seat adjacent to the two women he had just let enter ahead of him. The women were laughing and joking about a recent bad date that one of them had experienced the previous night.

Rick maneuvered his way in front of them and accidentally brushed against the blonde woman’s expensive handbag.

Excuse me! Her gaze narrowed on his face.

My fault, Rick said, sitting beside her. He still had his headphones on, listening to music.

Whatever, she said while wiping off her handbag. Then she scooted over to get further away from Rick, rolling her eyes at him in the process. She proceeded to cross her legs, exposing her thighs. Then she tugged on her skirt to cover herself, assuming he was staring at her body. But Rick wasn’t the least bit interested and kept looking forward.

She turned to her friend and said, "I wish there were a law around here on the kinds of people allowed to ride on these trains! At least there should be a first-class section like they have on airplanes, so we wouldn’t have to sit around the hired help."

Her friend nodded, saying, I agree with you, but that will never happen in this city. But we could always suggest it.

I might just do that, the blonde woman said. My father practically owns half of this city. I may ask him about it to see what he thinks.

Rick overheard what they said about him but decided just to ignore them. He sat there calmly while the women continued to converse.

Anyway, I’m having dinner with him tonight at that new Italian restaurant that just opened in SoHo, the blonde woman continued. "We’re celebrating his 20th anniversary as CEO of his investment firm.

It’s only a couple of blocks from the new condo my father bought for me last month. I heard their linguini is fabulous. And the best thing is certain people can’t afford to eat there, she said, pointing her thumb towards Rick.

Yeah, unless they work in the kitchen. Her friend grinned. I’m surprised you are still going out to eat in public with all the talk about that chemical weapon?

I’m not worried about that at all. I got more important things to do in my life than think about an attack that will never happen. She took a compact out of her purse and powdered her nose. I owe it to myself after all the drama I’ve just gone through.

The train briefly made a scheduled stop. The doors opened, and a crowd of people entered, including a blind man with a guide dog.

Did any vandalism happen where you live? the brunette woman asked.

Are you kidding? Things like that don’t occur in my neighborhood. She lifted her nose. I don’t even know what any of that is about. There are more important things to worry about, like planning my next vacation.

---

After riding on the train for another half-hour or so, Rick finally arrived at his stop. He placed his headphones inside his bag and left the train. He went up the escalator and hurried through the turnstile.

It approached 10:00 a.m., and he still needed to travel four blocks to get to his work location. Luckily, he quickly made it through the first three pedestrian crossings. But when he got to the last block, he impatiently waited while stuck at the traffic light.

A teenage boy that sold newspapers strolled by. He passed a man that wore a U.S. Air Force Gulf War veteran hat. The boy stopped and saluted him, saying, Thank you for your service, sir.

Rick also thanked the veteran and then asked the boy for a paper. He reached inside his shirt pocket, grabbed some change, and handed it to him. The boy gave him the newspaper just as the light changed, allowing pedestrians to proceed to cross the street.

While walking, Rick glanced at the paper and read the headline: Massive Weapon Threatens the Future of the World.

He shook his head and said to himself, More of the same junk.

Finally, he entered the towering glass and steel skyscraper and immediately rode the elevator to the basement. He removed his bandanna from his face and stuffed it inside his pants pocket.

He clocked in at precisely 10:07 a.m.

You’re over an hour late, Mr. O’Malley said through a face covering made from a shredded white T-shirt. Mr. O’Malley, his supervisor, was a short, stocky man, about 50 years old. He deemed Rick a threat because of his smarts and how well he performed his maintenance duties. In fact, Rick was such a high performer that Mr. O’Malley frequently worried that he would eventually take over his position. He continually spied on Rick, so he could find a justifiable reason to fire him.

Just as Mr. O’Malley was about to scold Rick, Mr. Boone, the maintenance section director, entered the room. Mr. Boone favored Rick and frequently talked to him about sports. He was one of his favorite employees, mainly because of his integrity and impeccable work ethic.

Rick! I haven’t seen you in the last week or so, Mr. Boone said with a smile. They shook hands. How’s everything been going? Is your youth team winning some games?

Hey, Mr. Boone, everything’s fine, Rick replied. Yeah, we won our game last night by 10 points.

"That’s good, very good…

...and didn’t I tell you to stop calling me Mr. Boone. The name is Frank.

Mr. O’Malley stood off to the side; his eyes shifted towards their conversation. Redness covered his face, showing obvious signs of jealousy.

Alright, Frank.

Rick, you’re a man of few words. Keep up the good work. He reached up and patted Rick on the shoulder as he rolled by in his wheelchair.

Good morning, Mr. Boone, Mr. O’Malley said.

Mr. Boone jerked his head around. Oh, I didn’t even notice you were standing there. Did you finish that report I asked you about yesterday?

Sir, I’m just about done. I’ll have it for you by tomorrow morning.

No, make that by before you leave today. On my desk!

Yes, sir, I’ll have it to you by close of business today.

And take that stupid mask off your face. You’ll scare the women around here if they see you wearing that thing. Then Mr. Boone maneuvered his wheelchair to the elevator and headed up to his executive suite on the 70th floor.

I can’t stand that son of a bitch, Mr. O’Malley said under his breath.

Then he glared at Rick, Just get to work. You’re needed down in lower level 5.

Rick went to his locker and placed his bag and cell phone inside. He didn’t take his phone because the cellular signals couldn’t reach that far beneath the ground. Then he wrapped his tool belt around his waist and picked up his tool bag.

He headed towards the soda machine and put a couple of dollar bills in the slot to purchase a large water bottle. Next, he rolled up the newspaper and placed it inside his back pocket. He walked towards the